


A Never Ending Love Story

by greeneggs101



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M, Old Age, Original Character(s), POV Outsider, still in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 10:43:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16061456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneggs101/pseuds/greeneggs101
Summary: What happens when the guardians of light grow old?(Or: the author has noticed a distinct lack of old!Sora and Riku fics and seeks to rectify this with old people still 100% in love)





	A Never Ending Love Story

**Author's Note:**

> I'm baa~aack! :D Finally finished that big work project and it was amazing if I do say so myself! 
> 
> So this is more or less an experiment to practice a) outside POV b) OC's and c) Writing in the present tense. Which was way harder than I thought it would be. I'd switch tense within the same sentence. I wouldn't be surprise if you guys find an error or five in this. I tried to catch all the mistakes. 
> 
> I hope you guys like the OC. The story isn't really about her, but her complete outside observations of our favorite KH couple. 
> 
> I just really wanted an excuse to write cute Old Person fic and this was the third attempt that went in a direction that I enjoyed writing. so third times the charm?

I’m certainly not anyone special. And I certainly didn't mean to meet any heroes today. 

 

I might have put on better jeans if I had known. 

 

But to be fair, they didn't acted like the heroes from legends. 

 

They were just so... normal. 

 

It happens like this:

 

Rosie is late. 

 

Again. 

 

Not that this is surprising anymore and I am used to it, pulling out my ebook while I wait on the park bench. She always loses track of time when working and her text five minutes ago said that she was on her way. 

 

We were supposed to meet ten minutes ago, but whatever. 

 

I sigh, flipping through my book, engrossed in the story. This is my favorite part! Where the prince stumbles in and introduces himself while simultaneously nearly breaking items in the shop. Of course, the merchant’s apprentice doesn’t realize that he is the prince till way later, but it’s such a meet cute that I can’t help but love it. 

 

“What are you reading?”

 

Huh?

 

I glance up...then down. Leaning over the armrest of the bench is a child with red hair, staring at my ebook that I had sat in my lap when they startled me. When I didn’t answer right away, the child, a young girl I guess, glances up with dark blue eyes. 

 

“Well?”

 

“Huh... oh well...” I try to grin, hoping it doesn’t come off as a grimace. 

 

Children and I don’t always get along. 

 

“It’s just a fairy tale. About a merchant’s apprentice and a prince...”

 

“So like Cinderella?”

 

“Who?” I frown. The name sounds familiar. But I can’t place it. 

 

“You know... like that lady in the Grandpa’s stories...” 

 

I did not know this child’s grandfather nor her stories but I nod anyway. “I guess so?”

 

“Cool...” She walks around so she could climb up onto the bench with me. “My name’s Marina! What’s your’s?”

 

“Uh... Ursa...”

 

“Were you named after the Union?” She studies me hard, as if my answer defined everything about me. 

 

I had no idea what this small child was talking about though. “No... I don’t think so? My mom just liked the name.”

 

“Oh...” She lets out a sigh. “That’s some of grandma’s favorite stories. And Papa’s. And Uncle Ven’s. They like talking about the old Keyblade Unions.”

 

Finally something that made some sense. The Keyblade Unions were old legends. But I remember that they had something to do with the battle that happened over 50 or so years ago. The one that made it possible to travel to different worlds. 

 

Maybe that’s where I heard about Cinderella...?

 

“So, why are you reading?”

 

I look back at the girl. “Um, well... I’m kinda waiting for a friend. We’re supposed to head to the boardwalk today for lunch.” 

 

“That’s where Grandpa and Papa and I just came from!” The girl grins but I feel a slight shiver of fear run through me. 

 

Where were this girls grandparents now???

 

“Marina!” a voice calls out. 

 

Ah... I guess I’m about to find out. 

 

“Papa!” Oof, my thighs hurt as Mariana stands up in my lap, arms waving.  “Over here, Papa!”

 

I look across the park and see an older gentleman with spiky grey hair run towards us. He’s smiling when he sees Marina, but as soon as he spots me, his gaze hardens a bit and something just appears in his hand. 

 

_ Is that a giant key? _

 

Too late, my brain realizes that he thinks I’m some sort of attacker and I flinch, holding my ebook in front of me, like the 5x8 inch square of plastic will actually protect me. 

 

“Papa, stop!” Marina cried out stomping her foot down right on my knee. She’s more annoyed than genuinely scared on my behalf. Which was good I guess, as she was currently the only one causing me pain. “She’s my new friend!” 

 

The footsteps stop, nearly right in front of me and I hesitantly glance over the top of my ebook. The man looks more than a little sheepish, his face a faint shade of red with a nervous grin. The giant key... or what ever it was, had disappeared and I half thought I might have just imagined it. 

 

“Sorry... I just... I’m a little protective over her...” He glances up at Marina, offering her a hand so she could climb off the bench. 

 

Instead of doing so though, she hops into his arms. He’s caught off guard, his expression a little shocked, but he reacts quickly enough. Soon, they both take a seat next to me, Marina in her Papa’s lap. 

 

“Papa, where’s Grandpa?”

 

“Looking for you on the other side of the park...” her Papa waves a finger in a sort of parody of a stern admonishment, but then lets out a sigh, giving up the ruse. “I’ll have to call him, hang on...” He pulls out a cellphone, using one hand to push the buttons and holding it up to his ear. 

 

I studiously try to ignore them now, going back to my book, but I could still sense Mariana trying to read over my shoulder. I glance up at her and she gives me a huge grin. Her Papa is still engrossed in his phone call, clearly trying to calm whomever was on the other line. Marina didn’t seem to be aware or worried and how much stress she had caused her guardians and instead offers me a grin as the distressed noises from the other side of the phone grow louder. 

 

I stick my tongue out at her quickly and she giggles in delight. 

 

Finally, the shouting on the other end of the phone line grows silent and the man puts his phone away with a sigh. “Your grandpa is not happy with you young lady.”

 

“I’ll just bat my eyelashes and he’ll forgive me,” Marina says matter of factly. 

 

The laughter that erupts from the man startles me from pretending to read my book. “You think so do you?” His grin is infectious and I found my own small smile widening. He didn’t seem mad at the girl, or even annoyed. Just finding amusement in his granddaughters antics. 

 

I wasn’t sure if I could be mad at her for long either if I had to babysit her or something. An aura of childish innocence surrounds her. She must get away with murder at home... 

 

“So... you’re Marina’s new friend?”

 

I glance up. The man was holding out his hand, a large smile on his face. “Uh yeah...” I shook his hand. Despite the wrinkles and calluses in his hand, his grip was strong, yet not overbearing. “She just kinda... wanted to know what I was reading...”

 

He sighs and settles the girl so she is sitting more than standing in his lap. “She’s been doing that a lot more lately. Just... running off...” He stares down at her red hair. “What’s gotten in you? Neither your Mom nor your Grandmother was like this...”

 

“Her mom, maybe...” I startled at the dry voice behind us, dripping with sarcasm. Turning, I saw another older gentleman walk towards us, also with silver hair, though it was lighter and longer. “But her grandmother? The one who escaped from the prison in the world that never was and then went back because she felt guilty for her jailer? The one who literally chased after both of us through realms of darkness even when we begged her not to? That grandmother?”

 

The man beside me started laughing so hard tears were starting to escape his blue eyes. “Yeah... I guess that’s true...” 

 

“Though, if you want my opinion...” The man walks up to the bench, ruffling Mariana’s hair while offering the man sitting next to me a wry grin, “I’m not sure how, but I’m pretty sure Marina got it mostly from you, Sor.”

 

“Grandpa!” The girl squealed, then points towards me, “This is my new friend!” 

 

“See?” I can see amusement twinkling in his teal eyes, and he offers a small sincere grin and holds out his own hand. “So... you’re Mari’s new friend?”

 

“I guess so...” I huff out, a grin spilling over my own lips. What a strange family... “My name’s Ursa...”

 

“Riku...” the man with longer hair introduces himself, then points to the man still on the bench. “And that scatterbrain is my husband, Sora...”

 

Sora lets out another chuckle. “It’s been over 40 years, ‘Ku. You don’t have to keep saying, ‘my husband, Sora’ every time.”

 

“Nah... I do. It was in the rule book...” Riku’s grin was so fond, I can’t help but internally coo a little. He reaches out to ruffle Sora’s hair. 

 

As he did, I notice several strands of chestnut brown running through it, as if the gravity defying locks were still clinging onto whatever youth they could. 

 

Sora’s chuckles grow louder, as if this was an old joke between them. 

 

“Ursa!” 

 

I turn around behind me, watching as Rosie half runs, half skips on the pavement, nearly tripping over her own feet. 

 

Her sweater hangs half off her shoulders and her hair is in all sorts of disarray. She nearly crashes in to me as she skids to a stop, breathing hard and brushing blonde hair out of her eyes irritably. 

 

“Sorry, sorry!” she offers a small apologetic smile, “My watch got buried under accession records and archive documents. And then the phone rang about another genealogy request from someone in Radiant Garden...” She takes a deep breath, letting it out in a loud huff with a half-strangled laugh and it’s clear that today is gonna be a lunchtime margarita type day. 

 

I laugh anyway and help rearrange her sweater so it’s on her shoulders proper. “What am I going to do with you?”

 

“Travel with me when I finally save up enough money?” She asks with a grin, reiterating a dream she has often told me. “I’m halfway towards a small gummiship.”

 

“I’d recommend Radiant Garden first if you’re gonna go.” Sora’s voice interrupts. 

 

Instantly, Rosie’s whole body freezes, not expecting the voice. She glances over at Sora, her arms crossing her chest nervously. “Umm... yeah...” She tries to grin, though it falters a bit. “I was thinking that or Twilight Town...” Her voice grows quiet, as it tends to do around strangers.  

 

“Do you like history?” Riku asks gently, possibly sensing her anxiety, “You were talking about archives and--”

 

“Yeah!” Slowly, Rosie’s grin widens. “I work at the historical society on the island... that’s why I want to go to Radiant Garden. Twilight Town has the old Daybreak Town remnants nearby, but Radiant Garden is always mentioned in Mayor Kairi’s old documents so..”

 

“Why do you have Grandma’s documents?” Mariana pipes up, struggling to stand up in her Papa’s lap, looking up at Rose in curiosity. 

 

Instantly, the blonde perks up a bit more, “Oh, hi Marina! I didn’t see you there...”

 

Marina ducks a little bit, hiding her face in her Papa’s sweater, and Rosie let out a little giggle. 

 

“I guess you don’t remember me from camp last year... we made bubble flowers, remember?”

 

It takes Mari a moment, but finally a grin spreads across her face, “Oh yeah! Are we gonna do that this year?”

 

Rosie shrugs, her sweater slipping off her shoulders again, “Probably, but there’s gonna be some new activities too...Who do you have with you today, Mari?”

 

“This is Grandpa and Papa!” Marina grinned. 

 

Sora lets out a huff, “Yes, but we’re also known as Sora and Riku...” He holds out a hand for Rosie to take. 

 

Instantly, my friend’s demeanor shifts again, from shy nervous to excited nervous. She shakes Sora’s hand only a little too eagerly. “Not... not the Sora and Riku?” Her voice drops a little in shock. 

 

I blink. “The Sora and Riku?”

 

The laugh that bursts out of Riku echoes loudly around the park, startled birds scattering, “That’s just what you need Sor. A big fat ‘the’ in front of your name.” 

 

“Hey!” Sora pouts like a child and sticks his tongue out at his husband. “I kinda like it...”

 

“Sorry!” Rosie quickly says, letting go of Sora’s hand and stepping back a bit, “It’s just... you know, I mean... I read... and heard... and the keyblade!” She takes a deep breath trying to calm her babbling and tucks a stray hand of hair behind her face. “I mean.... I’ve read so much about you from the history books, and Miss Kairi’s talked a bit about you. And we have a replica Keyblade, of course...”

 

“At the museum?” I ask. A Keyblade... was that the giant key I had seen earlier?...

 

“Of course!” Rosie turns to glare at me, “I know I’ve told you about the keyblade!”

 

“You did?” If this stuff is at the museum though, I presume it was someone from history and that was always Rosie’s subject, not mine. 

 

“Ursa!!” Rosie whines, “C’mon, I’ve only explained this like... at least a half dozen times. At least! With the keyblade wielders? And the giant heart shape moon? And the different worlds??” She shakes my arm as if that would jog my memory. “C’mon!!! It’s only the whole reason I want to travel in the first place!!”

 

Well... now that she mentions it... “I thought those were just legends...”

 

“Ursa!!” Rosie lets out a deep sigh, as if I had disappointed her greatly. I’m used to the dramatics though and just shrugged it off. “We are going to go over this again at lunch. In detail. With diagrams and timelines.”

 

“Yippie.” Maybe this is more of a two margarita type day. 

 

I ignore Rosie’s eyeroll and instead turn my attention back to Marina. “Well... I guess we need to say goodbye for now, kay?”

 

“Okay...” Marina lets out a small sigh, “But you’ll come to my birthday party right??”

 

“I uh...” This is a little awkward. I do not want to tell a little girl no, but I also-- 

 

“We’d love for you to come,” Sora offers, “Both of you...” Beside him, Riku nods. 

 

“It’s at Selphie’s diner tomorrow at 4, if you’re available.” 

 

“I--uh,” Well it wasn’t like I have plans. “I guess, I uh...”

 

“We’ll be there,” Rosie answers for me, though I notice her arms trembling a bit, a sign that she has returned to shy nervous. But she seems adamant about it, “Can we bring anything?”

 

“Just yourselves!” Sora grins, waving as he took Marina’s hand and helps her off the bench. She reaches out for her grandfather with her free hand and the taller man takes it. “See you then!”

 

“Great!” Rosie waves back, then turns to me. “Now... we gotta get you all caught up...”

 

“I still don’t quite get it,” I shrug and start to walk down the path to our usual boardwalk lunch place. “Who were they?”

 

“Sora and Riku are heroes. Practically legends!” Rosie gushes, then turned her glare to me, “Or literally as you seem to think...”

 

“It all sounded a little too fantastic to be true...” I try to reason. Which... okay, I knew there was a big battle of some sort and something happened and then we could get on gummiships to go to different worlds. It just feels like all that happened like a hundred years ago or something. 

 

Because surely it isn’t all true. Sora and Riku look to be in their late 60s, maybe 70s. They would have only been...

 

“They were sixteen and seventeen I think...” Rosie says, guessing at my thoughts. “Just think... they were saving worlds at that age and we were fighting over Marko.”

 

“If only we knew then what we know now...” I mutter. 

 

“Totally. Marko sucks.” Rosie giggles and I elbow her. 

 

“I meant this...” I reach out and take her hand.

 

Her giggles cease and she lets out a small grin. “Yeah...” She squeezes my hand. 

 

I’m still not exactly sure what the big deal is, but I know that Rosie will take the time to explain it all. And maybe I will understand by the end. 

 

But...I think back to the men I had met in the park. They certainly didn’t seem like heroes. Or legends. Just a normal old couple taking their wayward grandchild for a walk in the park. 

 

“Do you think they’d let me interview them?” Rosie asks. “I mean... like an oral interview... It’d make a great addition to the collection...” He eyes grow a little distant. “Oh... and maybe we can do an exhibit and then... maybe I’ll get a pay raise!” She skips a little at the thought. 

 

I chuckle, “Maybe. They seemed pretty cool.” Rosie is clearly in the midst of a bit of hero worship, and it  _ would _ be pretty neat to hear these stories in their own words. 

 

I have a feeling that the interview would just showcase two old guys in love. 

 

It still makes for an interesting story. 

**Author's Note:**

> Not gonna lie, the little romance at the end was a surprise even to me as I wrote it. But it just... happened? Is that how relationships work? 
> 
> :D I might write more old person Sora and Riku fic and bring in Grandma Kairi who was totally mayor of destiny islands (and Sora and Riku have two adopted keyblade apprentices/children... they just didn't fit into this fic...)


End file.
